Romanian far-right candidate George Simion shuts down TikTok and Facebook profiles prior to the second round of the presidential election.
Updated Post:
George Simion, a far-right presidential candidate in Romania, has mysteriously gone dark on social media ahead of the election runoff next week.He announced on Saturday, May 17, that he's ditching Facebook and TikTok, calling for others to join him in a "day of silence."
: Human Rights Defenders Echo Concerns While George Simion is attempting to portray himself as a respectable politician by closing his accounts, political scientist Sergiu Miscoiu believes it’s a smoke-and-mirrors operation. Thousands of dubious accounts persistently promote him on these platforms—a reality that counters his message of democratic norms.
Political tensions are running high in Romania, and the presidential race between Simion and centrist mayor Nicusor Dan is predicted to be a tight one. The 38-year-old leader of the nationalist party AUR secured nearly 41% of votes in the initial round, but the odds have now shifted, with both candidates neck-and-neck in recent polls.
Protests and Allegations
Simion threatened the possibility of "massive fraud" on Friday, only to be promptly dismissed by Romanian authorities as unfounded. The nation – bordered by Ukraine – has faced unrest in recent months, following the annulment of a previous election.
: Election Manipulation Prevention In the wake of worries about foreign interference and undeclared campaign financing during the initial election round, Romanian authorities took decisive action. These efforts included the annulment of the first round results, stiffening eligibility criteria for candidates to prevent extremists from running, and opening an EU investigation into election manipulation.
The annulment of a previous election and subsequent enforcement actions were not taken lightly. The Romanian Constitutional Court invalidated the results of the first round, citing allegations of foreign interference, and rejected the registration of certain candidates associated with extremist or illegal activities.
This multi-faceted approach demonstrates a determination to safeguard the presidential runoff election from manipulation, foreign influence, and extremist interference while upholding democratic standards and restoring public trust in the electoral process. The measures also underscore Romania's dedication to preserving its stability and adhering to democratic values and principles, both during the electoral period and beyond.
- The European Union is closely monitoring the upcoming presidential election runoff in Romania, given the concerns about election manipulation and foreign interference that have arisen.
- As the tension between George Simion and centrist mayor Nicusor Dan increases, social-media platforms are buzzing with general-news, politics, and entertainment discussions about the election, despite Simion's perceived attempt to silence his critics by going dark on social media.
